Essay Draft 1

Main problem:  Social media such as facebook as a platform for anonymous vigilante groups in Singapore to target political groups and popular social media influences. In the past year, these vigilantes have overstepped their boundaries by exposing private details such as the home addresses of their target victims.

Affected target group/stakeholder: Government, political leaders, social media influences

Agent of change/stakeholder: Educational institutions, the government ( in the form of legislation and law), social media platforms.

Solution 1: Protection from Harassment Act 2014 to protect online users from cyber-harrasment.

Evaluation 1: Vigilante’s garner support from the masses through their ability to empathise with their struggles. They give ordinary people a platform to voice their opinions about political or social issues that otherwise will not be heard. As such, placing a restraining order on these groups does not stop their supporters from continuing the harrasment online. It is not possible to place a harrasment act on such a large mass of people. Also, the protection order does not require vigilantes that are anonymous to reveal their identities, meaning these groups of people are able to set up multiple social media accounts to attack their victims without getting caught or punished for it.

Solution 2: Perhaps what the government needs to do is to implement laws that criminalizes the posting of other’s private details without their consent. They can also work closely with social media organizations to monitor the content of what these vigilantes post on their social media platforms. Any violation of rules should result in punishments.

Implication/Conclusion: This may however stir anger amongst the vigilante groups supporters as they feel that they no longer have the freedom to voice their opinions online.This may result in an even bigger issue such as protests or supporters taking things Into their own hands

Thesis: Social media platforms have increasingly become a platform for anonymous vigilante groups to attack political groups and popular social media influences in Singapore. Cooperation between the government and social media companies are needed to combat this growing problem.